Deep Within the Soul
by plusquemoi
Summary: When Snowkit was taken by the hawk in Series One, he survived. It turns out that StarClan had a greater destiny planned for him. Will Snowkit be able to trek along the path no cat has had to tread before? Will he ever see ThunderClan and the forest again?
1. Taken

**Woo! Here comes another Warriors fanfic – and this time its not a one-shot! *confetti***

**Yep, heres my first Chapter Story.**

**So, in the first series, we all remember Speckletail and Snowkit right? What happened to Snowkit when he was carried away by the hawk? Should ThunderClan have left him for dead? Find out here.**

**By the way, credit for the idea of doing a story about Snowkit goes to allygirl56. Thanks!**

**Disclaimer: If I had a penny for every time someone mistook me for Erin Hunter, I'd still have nothing. ;D**

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**Chapter One: Taken.**

Snowkit crouched down, his belly fur brushing the ground, while his tail lashed backwards and forwards menacingly. He unsheathed his needle-sharp claws, scratching little marks into the soft earth of the camp. Lips curled over his teeth, the small white fangs bared, and he raised his haunches off the ground. He snarled menacingly at the enemy, slowly advancing into its line of vision, yet quiet as a mouse.

The stone sat in the middle of the clearing, unknowing of the immediate danger. When the small white kit attacked, it would never know what hit it, never care what hit it either. There would be no pain, and the end would never come.

It was, after all, only a stone.

But Snowkit had a very large imagination, and to him this tiny grey lump was the largest threat of the century to his Clan.

The stone sat in front of the kit, taunting him with its... well, _stony _silence. Snowkit growled deeply at the rock, but it came out as more of a squeak. Not that Snowkit could actually hear himself.

Snowkit wasn't stupid - he knew that he was certainly deaf. It was obvious that he would never be like the other kits, nor would he be like the other cats when he became older. And deep within his heart, he knew he would never be able to become a warrior, and would always be known as Speckletail's deaf white kit.

But for now, he shunned away any thoughts of this unwanted knowledge, and concentrated on pouncing on this unnervable mound. He began to creep forward, inch by inch, until he was a tail length away from the enemy.

With another small squeak, he leaped forward, his hind leg muscles uncoiling and pushing him off the ground. He landed on the stone with a meow of triumph, and batted it across the front of the nursery entrance with a quick flash of a paw.

A small orange paw flicked out from inside the shadows of the nursery, capturing Snowkit's stone and pulling it inside. Snowkit mewed his disapproval, bounding into the nursery to where his toy had disappeared.

Sitting just inside the nursery, licking his paw, sat Bramblekit and the stone. Bramblekit stopped to look at the annoyed face of the white kit, and started laughing. Even if Snowkit couldn't hear him, he still knew what laughter looked like. He also knew that Bramblekit was laughing at him, at his deafness, at his weakness.

The small orange tabby looked all too pleased with himself, which made Snowkit's blood boil. He may be deaf, but he wasn't blind, or dumb!

It became too much for Snowkit to bear when Bramblekit began to talk to him, knowing that the larger kit wouldn't have a clue what he was talking about.

Why couldn't his clan treat him like a normal cat? He could be just as fast and strong as the other kits if he had extra training, and he was willing to do this. It was what he was born to do, and he wanted to become a warrior, no matter how long that would take.

_StarClan, _wished the young kit, _please show me how I can become a warrior just like everyone else. Please help me show my Clan just how much they really need me!_

He padded out of the nursery head bowed and his tail dragging in the dirt. The only cat in ThunderClan who seemed to want to help him was his own mother, Speckletail.

Snowkit could see her now, emerging from Bluestar's den behind the Highrock, eyes bright with rage and annoyance. She spotted her wandering kit, and padded over to him, giving his a quick clean.

He protested to her tongue, which was rougher than usual. She immediately began to groom him slower and softer, and Snowkit began to purr. It was moments like these, when he felt like he truly belonged somewhere, that made him happy.

Her pale tabby tail flicked over his nose from left to right, their secret way of saying 'I love you.' He rubbed his head against her pelt, and she picked him up the scruff, back into the nursery.

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The sun peeked in through the protective brambles of the nursery, warming Snowkit's face. He yawned and stretched in his nest, ridding all thoughts of sleep from his head. Speckletail padded into the nursery, fresh-kill hanging from her mouth. Snowkit let the warm scents play over his sensitive nose, guessing she had brought him a juicy little vole.

He bounded up to her, drawing his tail over her nose from left to right. She set the vole down and together they sat and shared the prey, and Snowkit's rumbling belly was soon filled.

Speckletail flicked her tail towards the entrance, signalling to him to follow her outside. Immediately, she crouched down into the hunters stance, and Snowkit tried to copy her. Speckletail managed to knock him off balance all too easily though, so he tried it again.

The white kit's pelt prickled uncomfortably as he realised someone was watching him. Off to the side, Brackenfur and Fireheart were talking to each other and throwing glances in his direction. Snowkit's heart sank; now even the deputy was making fun of him.

Before he had a chance to dodge Speckletail's paw, Snowkit once again found himself on one side in the dirt. The old queen scratched the earth with one claw, telling him to try again. Having had enough, Snowkit merely rolled and jumped around the she-cat, begging for her to play.

But the queen refused to let him stop, and soon Snowkit was once again crouching in the dust, trying desperately to imitate his mother. By the time sun-high arrived, he still hadn't got the hang of it; but seeing Brackenfur watching him the whole time made him want to show he could be trained, he could become a great warrior.

It was far past sun-high, and even Brackenfur had left the mother and her kit in peace. Speckletail sighed, and laid her tail gently on her son's shoulder.

_Wait here._

Her pale tabby coat disappeared behind the nursery to where the queens made their dirt, and Snowkit was left alone once again in the clearing. Determined to show his mother that he had learnt the hunters stance, Snowkit began to practice by himself.

Low to the ground, haunches up but not too far up, head high, eyes alert. Creep forward slowly, delicately and soundlessly. Coil hind leg muscles, and push forward, front paws out in front with claws unsheathed.

Snowkit purred to himself; finally he was getting somewhere! He'd show his Clan, and all he had to do was concentrate.

In fact, Snowkit was so immersed in concentrating, that he didn't see the other cats in the camp turn for cover, mouths open as they screamed in terror. He didn't see Speckletail emerge from the dirt place, yowling his name, nor did he see Fireheart and Brackenfur shouting at him.

He only saw the hawk when it was too late, its talons already gripped into his soft pelt, wings beating as it tried to gain altitude.

Snowkit screamed his terror in one long, thin wail. A wail, that he couldn't even hear.

But the hawk was suddenly losing height, and Snowkit realised that Speckletail had jumped and grabbed him. It was a game of tug-of-war between his mother and a hawk, and he was the prize.

Fireheart leaped up, trying to help Speckletail, but the hawk had pulled away from the ground. It unhooked one of its talons, scratching the old queen across her face, and she let go of her kit, unable to hold on any longer.

The victorious hawk sped away from the clearing, and as Snowkit looked back, he could see the whole of ThunderClan standing shocked in their camp. Speckletail was yowling her lament for all to hear, and Snowkit replied with his own.

_I'm sorry._

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**Read and review! **

**Criticism appreciated!**

**Yay. Hope you enjoyed it.**

**P.S. - vote on the poll on my lookup!**


	2. The Void Between Worlds

**Thanks for all the reviews guys! It may have been less than 10, but its the most Ive received in one day lol.**

**_Oo-Rainpath-oO _- Same here, really. Its all thanks to allygirl56 that I even found this plot bunny! & Thanks for adding the alert!  
_.tuerzame. _- Thanks so much! Your review made me so happy. I thought that the first chapter went a bit fast and was kind of boring, lol. & Thanks for adding the alert too!  
_Swiftpaw of WindClan _- I love Swiftpaw too! I hated it when he dies, and when Rainwhisker and Sootfur did too D; & Thanks for adding to your favourites!  
_allygirl56 _- Definitely more than one chapter. It was originally going to be a one shot of Speckletail's lament, but when I reread A Dangerous Path, this plot bunny jumped at me. Also, thanks for adding the story alert! And no problem for doing your idea - like I said, a plot bunny attached itself to me :P**

**So, onwards and upwards! This is just a short chapter, I know, but Chapter 3 will be here soon too!**

**Disclaimer: I still own no pennies D;**

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**Chapter Two: The Void-Between-Worlds.**

His throat felt like it was on fire, dry and parched as it was, and Snowkit wasn't sure if he would ever be able to speak again. He blinked his tiny blue eyes open slowly, but when he looked around, all he saw was white.

Snowkit's heart lurched as the panic and despair of the previous day washed over him. His mother was probably looking for him still, her pale tabby pelt flickering in and out of the forest's trees as she ran. The kit's heart lurched again when he realised he might never see her again.

He might never be able to tell her how much he loved, ever again.

Snowkit let out a pitiful cough at this thought. Here he was, lost somewhere in this great white void, with no one to comfort him. He might as well be dead for all he cared.

Maybe he was.

But when he looked harder at the white that filled his vision, slowly shapes began to form and emerge. Eventually, he could pick out individual figures, figures that looked a lot like cats.

Maybe he still was.

The first cat to reach him was long-furred ginger tom, with yellow tabby stripes and green eyes. Snowkit held his breath, wondering what would happen next. Did this cat know that he was deaf?

The cat opened its mouth to speak, and when it did, his voice seemed to fill the void.

"Greetings, young Snowkit."

Snowkit gasped and covered his ears from the intensity of the tom's voice. So this was what it was like to hear - maybe only in death could Snowkit be able to hear. But soon, his ears slowly grew accustomed to the ring of the ginger cat's voice, and uncovered his small ears.

"I am Sunstar, messenger of StarClan, and the previous ThunderClan leader." The tom paused, looking into Snowkit's eyes with his own green ones. "And these cats," he said gesturing behind him to the half-blurred shapes, "are your ancestors."

"Where am I?" Wailed Snowkit, nearly jumping out of his skin at the sound of his own voice. Sunstar blinked once.

"You are in the void-between-worlds. Neither in the living, nor the dead. We have brought you here to show you your destiny." Sunstar began to groom himself, knowing that the little kit would burst out with more questions.

"My destiny? Will I become a warrior? Will I ever see my mother again? How can I hear you? What about-"

Sunstar held up a paw. "Your questions will be answered soon enough. As for how you can hear me speak to you now - you walk in the presence of a StarClan cat, and we can make even the blindest mole see once more, but only while you walk with us."

The ginger tom stood, beckoning Snowkit to follow him. Sunstar led Snowkit through the mass of cats that had gathered, introducing him to a few as he went.

"This is Lionheart of ThunderClan. He will be your guide through your journey, so remember him." Sunstar meowed, pointing with his tail at a large golden tabby tom. Lionheart joined them as they walked, padding over to Snowkit's left side.

"Greetings, Snowkit." he meowed, purring.

"This is Spottedleaf, ThunderClan's old medicine cat." Sunstar said, and the beautiful tortoiseshell she-cat he had spoken of joined them too, walking on Snowkit's other side. However, she did not speak, but merely inclined her head to acknowledge him.

Sunstar pointed out a few more cats, but no others joined them. Snowkit felt like he had been walking for days, yet it felt like no time had passed by.

The three StarClan cats stopped suddenly, and Lionheart gestured for Snowkit to come forward. The little kit padded cautiously out in front of them, but all he could see was even more whiteness.

He turned to question the cats that had led him here, but they were gone, as were the masses of cats that had been behind him only seconds before.

Snowkit shivered. He felt lonely in this white forever, but he didn't feel alone.

So it wasn't that much of a surprise when a disembodied voice appeared out of nowhere.

_Are you ready to learn what must happen next?_

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**Ok, a cliffhanger. Sort of. But still, I promised a short chapter, and it was starting to get near to the amount of words from the last one.**

**So, please review/add to favs/add to alerts. Its much appreciated.**

**Hopefully I'll reach 10 views by the time I post Chapter 3. That could be some wishful thinking.**

**Anyway, hope you liked it!**


	3. Wandering Soul

**Woohoo! Chapter Three is here! ;D Thanks to my only reviewer *hinthint***

**_Swiftpaw of WindClan - _Thanks! I thought it would be hard to make up actions etc for everything. xD Glad you liked Gone Forever too :***

**So, here we go!**

**Disclaimer: *searches pockets* Nothing.**

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**Chapter Three: Wandering Soul.**

Snowkit snapped his head around, trying to find where the voice had come from, but all he could see was the endless plains of whiteness. His heart thudded in his chest, panic rising up through his body.

"S-Sunstar? Lionheart? Spottedleaf?" he mewed, eyes wide. What he would give just to have their comforting presences next to him!

But the voice seemed to have disappeared, even if Snowkit could still feel it watching him. The tiny kit shivered, then straightened. A warrior wouldn't be scared of something that he couldn't see; he would face the danger bravely instead. Snowkit took a deep breath, and puffed out his white chest.

"Who are you? What do you want from me?" he called out.

_I am Wandering Soul. And I am here to train you for your task._

Snowkit nearly jumped out of his skin at the return of the voice, but quickly regained his composure.

"What kind of task?" he asked. "Where are you?"

_Do you always ask so many questions? _

Snowkit gulped, still trying to act like the warrior he wanted to be.

_I can smell your fear, little kit. Do not be afraid. I am all around you; in the shape of many forms like the trees and the wind, the sun and the sky. As for your task, all will be revealed in due time._

_Now I ask again - Are you ready to see your destiny and who you will become?_

Snowkit nodded eagerly, and then wondered if Wandering Soul could see him.

_I see all, Snowkit. Follow the trail lain down before you, and look into the Pool of Knowledge. You will see all that is needed then._

Snowkit frowned, confused. He looked around but could not see any kind of trail in the white void. He began to question Wandering Soul again, but stopped himself.

There was no visible path, that Snowkit knew. But he felt like he was being drawn to a spot in the distance, and before he knew what was happening, he was padding towards the invisible beacon.

He padded on for hours, fatigue slowly creeping up his pelt. His stomach rumbled, and he couldn't remember how long it had been since his last meal.

It wasn't long before he stopped, eyes wide at the sight before him.

The whiteness had ended, and he now stood in a forest that looked like it stretched on forever. He drew in a breath over his scent glands, and was disappointed not to smell the scents of any cats in this strange land.

A puddle was forming at his feet, and Snowkit squealed in excitement. The Pool of Knowledge!

Snowkit peered into the small pool of water, but all he could see was his own reflection staring back at him. His pelt was a grubby kind of grey colour, his fur sticking up, ungroomed.

"I don't understand, Wandering Soul. I only see myself." Snowkit looked up from the puddle, and hissed in fright.

Snowkit was no longer in the forest, or the white void. Instead he was inside a small cave on the side of a cliff, with the rain beating down outside. But what scared him the most was the creature before him.

The hawk that had carried him off was blocking the entrance, its eyes glinting hungrily.

Was the destiny Wandering Soul and his ancestors had talked about, a destiny to die at the merciless wrath of a hawk.

The hawk stepped closer, and Snowkit realised he was about to find out.

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**Okay, so it was short. But did you still like it?**

**Also check out my Warriors one-shots, Gone Forever and Goodbye.**

**And while you're there, vote on my poll? xD**

**Review please!**

**P.S. - For those who have read Max Ride, Wandering Soul will be similar to Max's voice, but less annoying lol.**


	4. Escape?

**Hey, finally back! So, the holidays are here for me, and I'll be able to update every few days :D**

**For those who missed the notice, I apologise for being away for so long and without saying anything. But DWTS is running again, so it's all good.**

**Disclaimer: Honestly, this will be the last I do, as the only thing I own is the plot line, Wandering Soul, the Void-Between-Worlds, and other minor things.**

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**Chapter Four: Escape?**

The hawk could see its prey, a tiny ball of fluff backing itself into a crevice in the rocky cave walls. She could focus onto the pale blue eyes of the kit, the fear contained within them giving her a sadistic thrill of excitement.

She had no need for this live piece of prey; she would have snapped its weak neck long before now if she'd wanted. Blood matted its fur where her razor-sharp talons had cut into its pelt, and dust from the cave floor gave it a rather unappetisingly grubby look.

The rain outside began to beat even harder down, drumming an irregular beat on the cliff. The hawk was secretly relieved that she wasn't fighting her way through the hard, wet pellets at this moment.

She fluffed up her russet feathers, taking a menacing step towards the kit, laughing to herself at how it squeaked in fear and backed further into the crevice.

Of course, she kept a constant glare on her features so that the kit would never suspect that she was merely toying with him. A recently fed hawk like herself was nothing for a kit to be afraid of, and there were far worse things than a quick, easy death by a broken neck.

The hawk shrieked shrilly, unfurling her wings suddenly, causing the white prey to jump back in fright, pushing itself through the rest of the crevice. She chirped happily, and began to groom herself. That had taken a lot less time than with the last one. Her job was done, and she had seen the last of the tiny kit.

Knowing she was no longer needed, she called out to her chicks in one brief shriek, and took off into the rain. Circling downwards into the forest to escape the now icy shards of water, the hawk began to search for another piece of easy prey.

After all, it wouldn't be long until they were hungry again.

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The cave Snowkit now found himself in smelt funny and had very little in the way of decorations. In one corner there was a measly pile of twigs which resembled a nest of sorts, and the only possible means of escape would be through a hole in the cave's ceiling.

On one paw, he was glad to be out of the hawk's reach, but on the other paw, being out of the russet bird's reach meant he was stuck in this dreary place.

Raindrops fell through the hole in the ceiling, running off his fur and forming a small puddle on the floor.

_You must find a way out._

Snowkit jumped as Wandering Soul's voice rang through his head, still not used to being able to hear.

"But how?" he yowled out into the cave.

_Look around you. There is always a path. There are enough ledges on the walls for you to climb to the top._

His pale blue eyes scanned the walls for any kind of holds he could use to reach the ceiling, and found several outcrops lining them.

Snowkit bounded over to the wall supporting the lowest ledge, and frowned at the height it hung over his head with. He bunched up his muscles, springing quickly, front legs outstretched. He barely caught the ledge with his paws, and dug his claws firmly into the hard rock.

It took several minutes of scrambling on the smooth wall below him before he managed to pull himself up over the outcrop. Snowkit lay down on the cool surface, panting heavily.

_Keep going, young kit. You must reach the opening._

The next ledge didn't look that far away, but Snowkit was already exhausted. He hadn't eaten in a long time, and his strength seemed to be completely depleted.

He whimpered miserably into the rock, picking himself up off the ledge and preparing himself for the next jump.

It was going to be a long day.

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Ok, I thought it would be longer, but once it was typed up its basically nothing. Meep.

Anyway, R&R?


	5. Fatigue

**It's good to be back into the roll of typing this story – I've missed it as much as you guys lol. Incase you guys didn't see the last Chapter, which I replaced over the notice, you might wanna read it before this one, or it wont make so much sense.**

**I know I forgot to do the whole response to reviews thing last time, so I'll put it in this AN as I didn't get any reviews for Ch4. *cries***

**Anywhoo;**

_**WarriorAddicted – haha, thanks for the review and author alert. I'm glad you like it. Unfortunately, Wandering will not be Tigerstar. I have many plans for WS.  
**__**allygirl56 – aww, thanks. I missed it too lol. *kicks homework and exams*  
**__**Ryuchie – Thanks for adding this to your favs, as well as the fav author. It's really appreciated, and I squee every time someone compliments this fic lol.  
**__**Swiftpaw of WindClan – I know! Max's voice is so, so, ugh! It just pops up randomly to make obvious comments. Though I will admit that it does come in handy sometimes…  
**__**Hawkeyes-Sunstar – Thanks for adding to your favs!  
**__**Oo-Rainpath-oO – Squee! Thanks for the Author Alert, and adding to favs. When I read the original book, I felt do bad for Snowkit and Speckletail, and just HAD to write something like this. Your reviews make me laugh xD. And OMS?  
**__**AriusWinter – Thanks for the Story Alert, adding to favs, and the review. I love Snowkit, maybe a little too much lol. Cookies!?! *writes Chapter frantically***_

**So, this will be the last time I post a disclaimer as it is quite obvious that I am not Erin Hunter.**

**Dis-claima: I am not Erin Hunter, blah, blah, blah… you get the picture. ;D**

**Enjoy!**

**

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Chapter Five: Fatigue**

Snowkit awoke; his body slumped against the cave's wall. He blinked his eyes open wearily, realising that he must have fallen asleep halfway up the wall. Although his body had had time to rest, he was absolutely starving and had little strength left. In fact, he was lucky to be alive still.

It took most of his effort to haul himself up onto his feet again, his muscles protesting at his own weight. His paws were a grey colour, covered in the dust from the cave floor and one of his claws had been torn out. The blood was old, and matted his fur greatly, but he couldn't be bothered to clean himself.

Looking up at the hole in the ceiling, it seemed even further away than it had on the ground. He mumbled a faint protest, but knew that it would be the only way to escape. Otherwise, he may as well turn around and give himself up to the hawk.

Snowkit imagined his mother back at the camp, probably still worrying over him and trying to find him. She would keep trying to find him, wouldn't she? She wouldn't give up on her own son. Of course not.

Thinking of his mother made his eyes well up with tears, but he blinked them back hard. There was no use crying over it now, he was just wasting his time. He sighed greatly, looking for the next outcrop.

It was an easy jump upwards to the next one, and he had soon hauled himself over the edge. He kept a steady pace, working from outcrop to outcrop, until his legs stumbled underneath him. He thought about giving up again, but a distant memory of his mother flashed in his mind.

He could see her, sunning herself outside the nursery during sunhigh. Her tail flicked lazily back and forth over the ground while Snowkit pretended to hunt it, stalking it before jumping onto the slender tail. Speckletail looked at him, a strange glow in her amber eyes. They seemed to be ablaze with pride and love for her son, and with the sun high above her head it made her shine like a StarClan cat.

A cold wind sweeping down through the opening in the ceiling pulled Snowkit out of his daydream. He shivered under his soft fur, wishing he had grown out of the downy kit fur already.

Looking back up at the hole, he saw that it wasn't that far away anymore, and there seemed to be only a few outcrops left until the top. He readied himself for the next jump, swaying slightly with fatigue. The last few outcrops grew farther apart, and yet Snowkit, with his tired and aching body, managed to get safely across with each leap. It felt almost like he was being willed on by some unseen force.

Soon he was standing on the highest outcrop, the cave floor a dizzying way below him. The opening was a fox-length above his head, and the chilly wind that entered through it brought scents of pine trees and mouth-watering prey.

By now Snowkit was about to collapse, but he knew that if he fell asleep now, he probably wouldn't get up again.

His nose twitched, looking up at the opening. _It's only a little jump, it's only a little jump, _Snowkit told himself, trying to steady his pounding heart. His haunches brushed the cool rock beneath him, and he bunched up his muscles for the final leap.

He was concentrating so hard on the opening, he nearly missed the shadow that passed over him. He tensed, turning slowly around, neck fur sticking up.

Blue eyes met gold, and Snowkit curled his lip over his teeth in a snarl.

The russet hawk chick looked over him curiously, it's head cocked to one side. It wasn't sure what this dirty, fluffy creature was exactly, but it still smelt like prey. It clicked it's sharp little beak, and shook out its puny wings.

Snowkit looked at the hesitant little bird, wondering if he could fight it. It was slightly larger than himself, but it's eyes showed no fear, only hunger. He looked past it, gulping as he saw what followed on the previous outcrop.

Four other chicks, _bigger_ chicks, were staring at him, heads cocked to one side as well. If he wasn't facing them right now, he might have laughed, seeing them all standing identically.

He realised he was no match for the runt of a chick, let alone the others. He hissed, swiping threateningly at the small chicks face.

It's expression turned from hunger to bloodlust within a few seconds, and before Snowkit could react, all five of the chicks had thrown themselves on top of him.

They pecked mercilessly at him, ripping out chunks of fur as they went, and breaking his skin. He yowled as one bit down hard on his tail, dragging him backwards by it. By now his blood was all over the outcrop, and through the downy feathers of the chicks. The smell of his own blood made his stomach turn, and was soon throwing up on the outcrop. The smell of his sick made the small hawks stop for a second, and Snowkit took the chance to pounce on the runty chick, scrabbling his claws against it's belly. The hawk screamed, eyes full of fury as it ripped itself out of Snowkit's grasp.

The hawk screamed again, rushing towards him. Snowkit turned away, fatigue from fighting the small hawk creeping up his pelt. He braced himself for the impact that would surely bring with it his end; imagining how he would be ripped apart by the wrath of the five hawks.

Snowkit couldn't hear the small hawk's scream still ringing through the cave, but the smell of his own blood was overpowering. He couldn't hear the shrieks of the dying hawk, as it's siblings ripped it apart, but he could see the larger hawks attacking it, momentarily confused in the middle of their bloodlust.

The hawks tore apart their runty brother, the smell of his blood making them go crazy, fighting each other for what they thought was their prey. It would take them a few more minutes before they realised the dead figure beneath them was not the white kit, but their own kin. Their mourning shrieks would not be over the murder of their own kind, but over the loss of their original prey.

Because they would be too late to catch the tiny white kit, who had scrambled through the opening in the cave ceiling while they were distracted.

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Collapsing wearily onto the soft earth, Snowkit began to groom himself, washing his wounds. He knew that without Cinderpelt, they would probably still become infected. And then there was the whole matter of finding some fresh-kill to quench his hunger; Snowkit didn't have a clue on how to hunt properly.

_There is a path within these woods – find it and follow it. It will lead to help._

Snowkit jumped at Wandering Soul's voice, still unused to his sudden comments. Although he found it strange to trust this voice in his mind, there wasn't much he could do otherwise.

Snowkit plodded tiredly into the forest, paws aching, and a sharp pain in his side. Inside the trees felt more at home then he had felt in the past day, and his heart ached with homesickness. A light breeze ruffled his fur, bringing with it the scents of mice and soil. He looked down at his paws, eyes widening as he saw he was standing on a sandy path. He followed the trail deeper into the forest, eyes scanning the bushes. He was so intent on looking around him that forgot to watch where he was going.

He fell, pain shooting up his side as he hit the ground. The solid object he had walked into emitted a rather surprised 'oof' before turning to face the little kit.

"Watch where you're going, will you?" asked a black tom, a white patch over one eye. He looked angrily down at Snowkit, annoyed at the interruption. "You made me lose my mouse!"

"Calm down, Shadow, he's only kit by the looks." A smaller tortoiseshell she-cat padded over to look down at him. "Hey there, stranger."

Snowkit looked confusedly up at the two cats, as they talked. It was times like these where he wished he wasn't deaf, so that could at least know what that annoyed black tom was muttering about.

The tortoiseshell was frowning at him, obviously wondering why he didn't comprehend. She turned to Shadow.

"I think he's deaf. Do you think he could be-" she began but Shadow cut her off.

"I can't believe you actually listened to that mangy furball! He's just trying to scare us with all this prophecy nonsense." Shadow said, rolling his eyes. "Let's go, Moss."

He began to pad away, but Moss called out to him.

"We can't just leave him here! He's only a kit, Shadow, and he's obviously hurt and tired." She meowed, eyes worried.

Shadow snorted. "Fine, bring him. Just don't expect _me _to look after it."

Moss turned back to Snowkit, her green eyes happy. She picked him up by the scruff, and began to dash after Shadow. Snowkit protested at the jolting as she ran, but it wasn't long until the motion actually lulled him into sleep.

Shadow just rolled his eyes at the sleeping kit.

_Stupid little furball._

**

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**

Wow. That took… forever. But I like it, even if it was a bit rushed in places.

**Just a note; I'm not sure if hawk chicks would be that ruthless, but in the middle of a bloodlust, who would know?**

**Haha, Shadow reminds me of Crowfeather. It wasn't meant to be intended, considering they're both black toms. But hey, not everyone likes kits, right?**

**R&R? Criticism appreciated.**


	6. Cracks

**By posting this, I'm not saying it's fully back. I just had some time (like, wow) and typed up this chapter. Thanks to those who have stuck with me through the stops and starts. **

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**Chapter Six: Cracks**

They weaved their way through the dense undergrowth, ferns combing their pelts. The sun trickled through the canopy, the small drops of light flowing over their fur.

Speckletail padded ahead, her tail flicking back and forth, encouraging him to follow. Her pale tabby coat shone with more colour than he had ever seen before. She would look back occasionally, amber eyes glowing, before picking up more speed.

They reached a cluster of smooth rocks. Speckletail leapt gracefully up onto one, turning to face him.

"Follow me!" she mewed excitedly, kneading the rock. Without waiting for a reply, she bound off the rock down towards the river.

He quickly scrambled over the smooth boulders, panting to keep up.

"Speckletail!" he mewled, but she was already running across the stepping stones. He began to follow, splashing through the water behind her, slipping from rock to rock. Before he realised what was happening, his back paws were pulled under, and his head hit the side of the rock.

He tried calling out again, but water caught in his throat. As he was swept down the river, he saw Speckletail on the other bank, her pelt disappearing through the rushes. He swiped frantically at the surface of the water, trying to swim, trying to escape.

The last thing he saw was a tabby tail being swallowed up in rushes.

There was cold, uneasy darkness. The world had suddenly gone quiet, and Snowkit found it hard to breathe.

Then there was a sharp prod in his side.

He opened his eyes to see a small blue kit staring at him. Something on top of him wriggled, and another kit tumbled off him, easing up his lungs. He coughed, and a paw from behind him swiped at the tabby kit that had been sitting on him.

The three kits tumbled around on the floor, batting at each other with their paws. Their mother, Thorn, watched over them carefully from her nest.

Snowkit liked Thorn. He remembered when they had first met, four sunrises ago. The tortoiseshell had brought him to her from the woods. Wandering Soul whispered various cat's names in his ear as he'd been shown around the camp.

There was, of course, the black tom that had been with Moss, who he was told was named Shadow. Snowkit thought it a reasonable name. All he ever seemed to do was skulk around the camp, moaning. There was their medicine cat, Nettle, a gentle young she-cat that had treated Snowkit's wounds.

There didn't seem to be an official leader – the cats just milled around the small camp, coming in and out as they pleased. It didn't even seem to be a real camp.

Thorn was the only queen from what Snowkit had seen, and her kits were younger than him. There was Patches, the small ginger and white kit; Stripe, the heavy and energetic tabby; and blue-furred Slip, the only she-kit.

Patches and Stripe annoyed Snowkit. They were just as bad as Bramblekit, taunting him and jumping on him. If he walked into the nursery, he got flattened – if he walked out, they hunted his tail. Slip usually kept to herself, wary of anyone other than her brothers and mother.

When Nettle came in to check on Snowkit, she would dart behind her mother, blue eyes shining out of the darkness. In way, she reminded him of Bluestar.

Snowkit tried not to think about ThunderClan. Just dreaming about Speckletail was bad enough; it always left him feeling hollow inside.

Thorn waved her tail at him, her way of saying good morning. Snowkit smiled back, standing and shaking moss out of his fur. Thorn's kits continued to wrestle around the small cavern.

Outside, the air was crisp and clear. Cats wandered about the clearing, stretching in the morning light. A young white tom padded up to Snowkit, a bird hanging from his jaws. He placed it gently in front of the kit, and prodded it with his paw.

_It is for you to eat. _An image of a feather appeared in Snowkit's mind, and he nodded in thanks to the apprentice.

_Feather is not an apprentice Snowkit. The cats here do not understand the concept's you have grown up with back in the forest. Here, he is merely another cat passing through._

"Well, he should be an apprentice." Snowkit muttered. Feather looked at him curiously before bounding away to talk to his friends.

_Companions, Snowkit. These cats are all too wary to have true friends. They are only here for shelter and company. _

"But doesn't that make them friends?" Snowkit wondered.

_Not necessarily. The cats that come here all get along well most of the time, but outside of this shelter? That is a different story altogether. One does not have to be alone to be lonely._

"I don't understand, Wandering Soul. What about Moss and Shadow? They're friends." Snowkit meowed defiantly, causing a couple of passing cats stare at him.

_Moss and Shadow have known each other for a long time. They get along better than most here. Now, all you see are a group of cats helping each other out. It takes time to notice the small cracks in this seemingly perfect picture._

"I can see cracks." Snowkit said, standing up straight. "I'm not blind you know."

A cat snorted into his pigeon. Snowkit picked up his fresh-kill, wandering back into the nursery cavern, tail down. A blur of blue fur swept past his nose, ruffling the bird's feathers. Patches and Stripe carried on playing like nothing had happened.

As Slip's wary blue eyes continued to stare at him as he picked his way past her brothers, over to his nest, Snowkit couldn't help feeling uneasy. He wondered what would make a kit so scared of every disturbance.

Slip didn't emerge from the darkness for a long time, merely watching Snowkit as he ate. She wouldn't come out when Thorn called for her to eat their own fresh-kill, and her brothers polished the vole off quickly.

Snowkit nudged the uneaten half of his bird onto the floor of the cavern, curling up in his nest. Nettle had told him not to move around too much, and Wandering Soul tended to make sure of it by talking his ear off if he kept shifting around.

As he settled down, a small blue shape appeared gingerly by his nest, picking up the rest of the bird carefully.

Snowkit pretended he hadn't seen a thing.

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**I found the plan! Now, I just have to get back into the roll of writing :S**

**Hope it wasn't too bad.**


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